Please read my lengthy prose, I do have a point to it.
I met my little sister when she was born. I remember bringing her home from the hospital in our new 1968 VW camper bus, no selt belts. I remember holding her in my arms as we made our way back home, she got passed around, it was pretty awesome.
Over the years we didn’t get along very well. In fact, I was pretty evil and she was very ingenious about being antagonistic. Even as teenagers, the love wasn’t there (on my part) and I was old enough to move out and do my own thing. After some time and having close friends knock me around some, I knew she loved me, and I have to admit I loved her too. But it wasn’t the time or place to settle such things. We enjoyed out time and/or place, for the most part, as best we could.
As we aged and mellowed a tad, we’ve had great fun together, sharing with each other. I introduced her to computers, and she let me in the door at 1am to show her how to play Steam Roller. This is a game where you’ve been sound asleep for a few hours, and some assailant jumps in to bed with you and rolls over you, repeatedly. Then, they grab a cardboard box and make a sled to use as vehicle to get from your upper apartment to street level. At 1am. Ain’t she just the best to put up with me?
Yes, she is.
To make a long story short, this woman has always been one of those artists that we only dream of being. Her pencil, charcoal to digital artwork has been online and published in many formats for over 20 years.
What happens then? You get plagiarized. Tee hee, this something I’ve only dreamed about.
How many times have you been to a web site or visited a blog of some sort and the author is complaining of plagiarism, content scraping or something related? Nearly every day right?
But in those instances, how many of them are collecting $1000.00 a print, getting magazine articles, praise from every angle all based upon your artwork? Not many I would think. But this is the case for my little sister.
My little sister’s artwork is being plagiarized to the point where this woman is collecting thousands of dollars and garnering tons of praise for something she digitally traced and added some vector graphics to. You do need to know my sister isn’t the only victim of this crime, she isn’t the only one.
If you’d like to see the comparison of my sister’s artwork versus what this woman selling, please take a gander, mijn schatje & blastmilk comparisons.
xo, Biggles
ps – We are looking for legal ways to handle this situation. If you have solid, concrete knowledge, please let me know. The woman is in Paris, France and we’re in the states. Ultimately, we really want her to stop stealing other artist’s work and profiting from it. A little shame wouldn’t hurt either.
ppssspssspes – Above all, we must keep this civil.
Fishy says, “Happy Birthday Meathenge!”
That’s right folks, Meathenge is 6 years old as of 3 weeks ago! A few times over the years I’ve gone back and have been able to trace my life through Meathenge. The fads, times, people, meeting new friends, learning, being plastered all over the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle’s Food Section. I’ve enjoyed nearly every moment this web site has brought to my life, I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it. I mean comon, how often do you get Toponia emailing you in desperation to see if you’re available to work the Fatted Calf Stall at the market? A chance to sling some of the West Coast’s best charcuterie ever? Pure heaven.
Happy Birthday to Meathenge and thank you everyone for making it a purely enjoyable way of life. You’re the best!
A toast to Meathenge! A toast to another 6 years !!! mmMmmM, toast.
xo, Biggles
Orion Cooker – It’s a cooker.
I don’t know where to start with this one. I am proud of myself for waiting 24 hours to post this though, gave me a chance to calm down and catch my breath.
What is an Orion Cooker? It’s a stainless steel rig that cooks your food by convection, the heat source doesn’t see the food. The food is placed inside, on racks or hanging from racks, the match-lite charcoal (manufacturer’s spec) is placed in the tray that surrounds the outside bottom of the cooker and in a little tube pot thing up top. Smoking chips are placed inside between the drip tray and the cooker’s outter wall. Once all that is done, put the lid on and light the charcoal.
For 3 racks of baby back ribs, you do nothing for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Pretty neat, eh?
Since I knew a real wood fire wouldn’t be introduced to the food directly, I had an idea as to what kind of smoked product to expect. It’s really good, juicy, smoky, but lacking the character only a real fire can introduce.
Um, I didn’t get that. I spent nearly 40 bux on 3 slabs, I didn’t get that. What I did get was steamed meat. MmMmmmm, steamed meat. No browning, no smoky flavors, an odd texture and they were over-done. Over-done steamed meat! Oh joy !!! The boys opted for Top Ramen instead. Even a dry rub of 2 kinds of pepper, dried basil, garlic powder and salt produced a very bland product.
After 24 hours of mind numbing reflection and a few conversations, I don’t think I added enough smoking chips and I think I should have pulled the meat at an hour or even 55 minutes. Even so, the looks of a pale rack of pork ribs, all funky with moisture, really turned my stomach upside down. I buried a few ribs in some jarred sauce and it was 100% better, so I tossed them in the trash. Even at 100% better they weren’t worth keeping.
All that aside, it’s an excellent cooker. The damned thing is all stainless steel, built well and built with good thoughts behind it. The screws, washers and nuts are all stainless as well. It went together very easily, every hole matched up and all the threads were perfect.
Considering the briquettes are exposed, small children and pets need to be kept at a safe distance. The instructions say you need about 15 pounds of match-lite, which is about 12 some odd bucks. So, if you’re going to fire this sucker up, fill it up. There’s no damned sense in putting a 3 pound chicken in there. If you have food that flourishes in steamy heat? This cooker just can’t be beat.
I took a handful of pictures of the Orion Cooker and they came out really great. Come for the pictures, leave when the food arrives.
xo, Biggles
Happy Hens Farm – From Petaluma to the Berkeley Farmer’s Market
I haven’t been to the Berkeley Farmer’s Market in quite some time, been busy and very well distracted. Had a few moments to myself this morning and headed out with some scrilla, a bag and an aching in my heart.
Check out those eggs !!! I spied them at Highland Hills’ stall, along with some badass whole chickens. These ain’t your Feel Good Organic eggs or chickens, these are the real deal budro. I paid dearly for them, but I couldn’t resist, I had to have. I can hardly wait!
I got a lot more, you’ll have to wait and see.
xo, Biggles
Happy Hens Farm
P.O. Box 4468
Petaluma, CA 94955
707.775.8246
Unexpected Delights – Country Fried Bacon
This was and is completely unexpected, Country Fried Bacon.
Our internets has been going up and down, they were expected to come fix between 4 & 6pm. Didn’t have anything planned for dinner, had the hankering for something deep fried.
Found enough oil, two bunches of asparagus, taters … and bacon. Whupped up some beer, flour & salt. Dredged the “veggies” and deep fried at 360 degrees F.
Country Fried Bacon rules. So clean, so perfect, so not greasy and easy.
xo, Biggles
A Dutch Oven Gathering and Girl Bacon
Dutch Oven Gatherings or D.O.G.’s are nothing new, only to me and the rest of us city dwellers. Chilebrown of Mad Meat Genius directly introduced me to the art a few years ago. Basically, you cook your food in a cast iron dutch oven that has feet and a special lid that will accept charcoal briquettes. This way, no matter where you are or where you go, you can have a world-class meal. Cool, eh?
But what happens when your skill set is no longer tested, your mettle isn’t put to the trial? That’s right, you begin down the road of Competition. And that’s just what CB, Abram & Larry (not included in this set) have done, they’ve trundled off to the big time of Dutch Oven Competitions. This is no small feat, you’re competing against people who could very well have done this their entire life! And a hundred or more competitors? It’s a vast sea of flurry for sure.
But you know what? Even after only a few good, heavy competitions these guys, The Meat Men are taking 2nd place. I’m impressed, a lot.
A few weeks ago CB emailed me and had been conversing with Abram, they agreed that I should host a Dutch Oven Gathering Practice Competition at Meathenge Labs. My first reaction was, well … YEAH !!!
Last Saturday was the day and I invited a few local bloggers to attend. I figured The Meat Men could do their thing, we could fire up my smoker, grill and quaff a few Cold Ones and have our own sit-down fest.
It was better than expected, everyone showed up when they said. The attending Meat Men got to work and I worked my station at the smoker. All were fed huge amounts of everything, joined by smiles and cold refreshing beverages.
CB cooked off his yeasted bread, Abram made a stellar Hawaiian Pork Rib dinner and I served up smoked chicken, bacon and a tri-tip. Pam of Zoomie Station provided homemade apple turnovers along with lamb burger sliders. Cookiecrumb of I’m Mad and I eat, Cranky of Pluto Demoted provided fresh oranges, tater salad and some other things I cannot remember. Mostly because it was 4 days ago and too many wonderful beverages in between. Tee hee.
After all was said and done not only did we really enjoy ourselves, but The Meat Men made their food under their time limit of 3 hours. Not bad, eh?
If you’re interested to see the rest of the story, go here and survey!
xo, Biggles
ps – Toponia of Fatted Calf gifted me the idea of using the term, Girl Bacon. Why? Because CB’s slab bacon had teats!
New Toy Day – Descoware 5 Quart Danish Oven
I’ve been monkeying around on ebay since no later than ’98. And, only 4 years ago put myself on an absolute rule, don’t go unless you’re actually looking for a specific thing. Don’t go, don’t do it and never, ever after 6pm. Man, the crap that’s shown up on my doorstep! I’m not the only one, am I?
Been wanting another enameled cast iron oven for a long time, years. Odd that I only have 1, but there it is. To be honest, the cost has kept me away. Rarely, if ever, do I buy anything new. Cameras and kitchenware can be had used, in great condition, a great price and usually of higher quality than I can afford new.
Last week, after my other Descoware Danish Oven developed a chip during some over-heating abuse, I decided just to look on ebay to see what there was. I still use the old oven, but can’t store leftovers in it over-night, gets all rusty. Other than that, it’s still in weekly use.
That’s when I saw her, an unused Descoware 5 quart oven, in the original box with the original sticker on the front from 40 some odd years ago. The starting bid was 1/4 what a new Le Creuset is, I put in my bid of just a tad over. My first bid is my only bid, I gauge what I’m willing to pay and not a penny more.
I won.
Check that sucker out! You may or may not have heard about the ol’ Descoware name. They started out in the 1940’s and through the 1960’s were plugged by famous chefs world-wide. Julia Child made mention of them and plugged them quite frequently on her cooking show way back when. The attention to detail, the quality of the cast iron and enameled coatings are unsurpassed, even today. Everyone’s favorite color for enameled cast iron is Flame, that’s an easy one right? Yeah, that was created first by Descoware. The signature dark grey interior of yore? Yup, Descoware first.
I tried it out last night and it was quite similar to using a non-stick combined with cast iron, flippin’ amazing. I’m glad I decided to take a quick peek in to ebay, only if to look and see.
xo, Biggles
Meathenge hits YouTube – Beef Fat !!!
Hi Everbody!
I was flarking along through the nets and ran across a new technology, a new web site. Chef2Video. Basically, they allow you to run a streaming video or a saved one of your working kitchen. They’re trying to get chef’s and such to join in. Which, personally I think is a great idea. But they’re also willing to let nitwits such as myself in.
Speaking of nitwits, I was inspired to start something of my own. Here is the first video I’ve ever done in any arena for any reason. There’s no content and it’s only 13 seconds!
xo, Biggles
Applying the Sauce
Yeah, yeah, barbecue sauce just covers up badly cooked meat. Not in this house! The sauce is good and is revered. So, if one is going to sauce the meat, how does it go?
Brushing sauce is for wimps. You need to submerse the meat in the sauce and caramelize it over the grill about 3 to 5 times! It’s gentle, it’s wonderful. Here you find chicken parts marinated in a cuban lime action, grilled over mesquite with hickory love. Dredged through the sauce a few times and served!
Here is the rest of the day:
xo, Biggles
Winter is clearly over, time for the fresh bounty of spring!
Spring is everywhere, Cookiecrumb of I’m Mad and I Eat is in full swing with light soups and green garlic. The farmer’s markets are absolutely over-flowing with everything from the garden. It’s time to take advantage of the season’s bounty, face first. Eh?
Bah. I’m not done with winter yet.
I had a pork shoulder roast in the fridge that really needed to have something loverly done to it. I got it from Ted at Highland Hills Ranch at the Berkeley Farmer’s market, high quality pork!
And by high quality, I mean he raises his own animals and brings them to market. Heritage breed stuff with nothing added and fed right.
And then? I realized it was Wednesday and I was going to be on the road picking up the boy in an hour, not back for way over an hour and by then it would be nearly 5pm. Whatever it was I had to do, it had to be done now. It’d take this little beauty hours and hours of slow roasting time. Oil, Survival Spice, a sliced white onion and 5 cloves of whole garlic. Installed to a cold oven set to 300 degrees in a water soaked clay oven.
Know what? It ain’t done yet. Why did I bother posting this? The smell coming from the kitchen is an absolute delight! Spring? Bring it on, but I’m dragging my comfort food in one hand and a club in the other this year. Nyah.
Biggles
ps – As Tommy of Tommy’s Kitchen requested, here are the results!
There was tons of juicy liquid only from the meat & onions. It was exceptionally rich and turned my eyes skyward.
When the meat reached 200, I pulled it. Both Z and I tore in to this within minutes, sometimes he’s picky about what he eats. Not this time, no sir. It was everything we smelled for a few hours and more.
Biggles
94 in the kitchen yesterday? Move it outside!
Oh goodness me! Listen up, I pay a lot of money to live here, own a home in the San Francisco Bay Area. It rarely gets above 75 or below 40, this is how it is. Oh sure, we get a freeze now and then, maybe a few times it gets up in to the 90’s. I love my fog, fresh bay breeze and anything after that. What I don’t like is huge, nasty, bucktoothed HEAT.
And brother, or sister, that’s what we’ve had in the last few days. Yesterday at around 4pm it was 94 just outside my kitchen. It dropped to 86 soon enough, but when I was actually cooking dinner for the boys, the kitchen leveled out at 92. I only spent nearly 2 hours in there cooking & cleaning, so it wasn’t too bad. Gah!
This is not okay and planned on a different menu plan for Tuesday, tonight!
Chilebrown of Mad Meat Genius sold me a badass propane stove a few years back, so I brought that out. Fired up the grill with some mesquite and hickory chips. The menu? Pork chops, beef burgers, mashed taters with a finish of corn on the cob.
Such a treat for the whole family. It was as though we were out camping in the wilds of Montana, sorta. Everyone got involved in making it go and had a great time. The indoor kitchen was ignored and the outdoor was enjoyed. LOVE !!!
If you’d like to see the rest of the story, please visit here and see Too hot, cook outside, everything!
Biggles
Hotty Meaty Appetizers
Easter, the aftermath. While I did state that I felt such gatherings were more for the people and the love versus attempting something new in the kitchen. I didn’t mean we were going to feast upon crud.
Initially, I was going to grill. It’s a simple way to add flavor and ease to a day of merriment. But after reviewing what I had in the fridge, it wasn’t a match. I had a large beef tri-tip, a decent pork sirloin roast, a Fatted Calf stuffed country-style pork rib roast, pork steaks and Fatted Calf bacon. If I were to grill, it would mean a lot of tending to the little darlings to make sure it all came out right. If I fired up the smoker I would receive a far better result with tons less effort.
Considering how lazy I am, the smoker was clearly the way to go.
The job got done, perfectly. What I’d forgot was the fact that my family is in dear love with the Hot Sauce. I remembered this when I brought out a dozen little bottle of sauce for the wonderful pasta salad my sister made. I sliced up the smoked pork steaks, and applied various sauces and offered them as they were. It was perfect! Such a treat, very well received. All the depth of the sauces with the smoked pork marinated in salt was a perfect match.
Crackers are great, but can’t hold a candle to smoked meat. This will continue.
xo, Biggles
ps – Here is the rest of the story for Easter 2009.
Meat Alert !!! Prather Ranch Meat Co. Comes to Danville and Campbell Farmer’s Markets
Wahoo! This is hot off the presses folks, just rolled in a few minutes ago. One of our favorite meat providers for the San Francisco Bay Area is going to be at 2 new farmer’s markets this coming weekend. Rain or shine, all year long, you’ll be able to get fancy meat at the Danville and Campbell markets. If you’re not familiar with the Prather Ranch name, visit their web site and check it out, they good people.
Here’s the email I received:
Spring greetings from the PRMC gang. We hope you are enjoying the arrival of asparagus and strawberries as much as we are. This Spring also brings a new arrival from us. Starting this weekend, April 18th and 19th we will be attending the Danville Farmers Market (Saturdays) and the Campbell Farmers Market (Sundays) year round rain or shine. We invite all conscientious carnivores living in either neighborhood to come on by and introduce yourself.
The Danville market occurs every Saturday year round in downtown Danville from 9AM to 1PM at the corner of Railroad and Prospect Streets. This market has a quaint small town feel yet hosts some of the best produce and prepared food vendors the bay area farmers markets have to offer. This market is conveniently close to the communities of Walnut Creek, San Ramon, Alamo, Diablo, and Lafayette. It also happens to be located just behind Danville’s own Sideboard café which features a now famous Prather Ranch Cheeseburger. Sounds like a nice Saturday to me.
The Campbell market is a sight to behold. This market takes place every Sunday year round on Campbell Ave. between Central & 2nd St. and seemingly everybody in the South Bay goes there. This market rivals The Ferry Building in its variety of vendors and overall vastness. Just about anything can be found there…that is now that we are filling it out with tasty meats. This market also serves the surrounding areas of San Jose, Los Gatos, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Saratoga, and Cupertino. Come on down and see what a bustling farmers market really looks like.
We at the Prather Ranch Meat Co. sincerely appreciate your support and we hope to honor that by continually striving to provide you with the best tasting meats from animals raised and fed with the most care.
Thanks,
The PRMC Gang
Cheers!
Happy Easter !
And I second that emotion, Happy Easter. Am hosting a small gathering today and expect to fire up the grill for a tri-tip, pork sirloin roast, some sirloin pork chops and a few other goodies. Nothing crazy, it’s more about the people and spending time together than making something out of the ordinary. Family, wine & meat day.
I’ve snucked away from posting for Easter since 2006, why? Because I couldn’t top what I did for that holiday. I pieced out a few fresh rabbits, marinated them in a Cuban marinade, then smoked the little darlings. “But Biggles, that’s no big deal, how come you can’t top that one?” Well, my good person, it’s because I used neon food coloring to give them the color of Easter Eggs!
Please visit Easter 2006 to read the rest of the story.
xo, Biggles
Meathenge’s White Trash Spaghetti Soup
Only recently have I started making spaghetti soup again, and it’s as divine as I remember. Over 20 years ago my Uncle Ralph made it for me and it’s about as simple to make as a glass of milk. But just because it’s simple and trashy, don’t mean it won’t deliver an absolutely rich, warm and filling meal that everyone will adore as much as we do.
You know how you, like, have leftovers when you make a red sauce spaghetti type situation? Sometimes there’s pasta left over too, but I’m talking about the red sauce leftovers. Put it in a pot, add enough chicken stock or broth to bring it to a soup consistency. Either use the leftover pasta or cook fresh. Bring to simmer, turn off and serve.
xo, Biggles